Chamber Music
by James Joyce
Contents With First Lines
| I |
[Strings in the earth and air
Make music sweet;] |
| II |
[The twilight turns from amethyst
To deep and deeper blue,] |
| III |
[At that hour when all things have repose,
O lonely watcher of the skies,] |
| IV |
[When the shy star goes forth in heaven
All maidenly, disconsolate,] |
| V |
[ Lean out of the window,
Goldenhair,] |
| VI |
[I would in that sweet bosom be
(O sweet it is and fair it is!)] |
| VII |
[My love is in a light attire
Among the apple-trees,] |
| VIII |
[Who goes amid the green wood
With springtide all adorning her?] |
| IX |
[Winds of May, that dance on the sea,
Dancing a ring-around in glee] |
| X |
[Bright cap and streamers,
He sings in the hollow:] |
| XI |
[Bid adieu, adieu, adieu,
Bid adieu to girlish days,] |
| XII |
[What counsel has the hooded moon
Put in thy heart, my shyly sweet,] |
| XIII |
[Go seek her out all courteously,
And say I come,] |
| XIV |
[My dove, my beautiful one,
Arise, arise!] |
| XV |
[From dewy dreams, my soul, arise,
From love’s deep slumber and from death,] |
| XVI |
[O cool is the valley now
And there, love, will we go] |
| XVII |
[Because your voice was at my sidew
I gave him pain,] |
| XVIII |
[O sweetheart, hear you
Your lover’s tale;] |
| XIX |
[Be not sad because all men
Prefer a lying clamour before you:] |
| XX |
[In the dark pine-wood
I would we lay,] |
| XXI |
[He who hath glory lost, nor hath
Found any soul to fellow his,] |
| XXII |
[Of that so sweet imprisonment
My soul, dearest, is fain—] |
| XXIII |
[This heart that flutters near my heart
My hope and all my riches is,] |
| XXIV |
[Silently she’s combing,
Combing her long hair,] |
| XXV |
[Lightly come or lightly go:
Though thy heart presage thee woe,] |
| XXVI |
[Thou leanest to the shell of night,
Dear lady, a divining ear.] |
| XXVII |
[Though I thy Mithridates were,
Framed to defy the poison-dart,] |
| XXVIII |
[Gentle lady, do not sing
Sad songs about the end of love;] |
| XXIX |
[Dear heart, why will you use me so?
Dear eyes that gently me upbraid,] |
| XXX |
[Love came to us in time gone by
When one at twilight shyly played] |
| XXXI |
[O, it was out by Donnycarney
When the bat flew from tree to tree] |
| XXXII |
[Rain has fallen all the day.
O come among the laden trees:] |
| XXXIII |
[Now, O now, in this brown land
Where Love did so sweet music make] |
| XXXIV |
[Sleep now, O sleep now,
O you unquiet heart!] |
| XXXV |
[All day I hear the noise of waters
Making moan,] |
| XXXVI |
[I hear an army charging upon the land,
And the thunder of horses plunging, foam about their knees:] |
I
Strings in the earth and air
Make music sweet;
Strings by the river where
The willows meet.
There’s music along the river
For Love wanders there,
Pale flowers on his mantle,
Dark leaves on his hair.
All softly playing,
With head to the music bent,
And fingers straying
Upon an instrument.
II
The twilight turns from amethyst
To deep and deeper blue,
The lamp fills with a pale green glow
The trees of the avenue.
The old piano plays an air,
Sedate and slow and gay;
She bends upon the yellow keys,
Her head inclines this way.
Shy thought and grave wide eyes and hands
That wander as they list—
The twilight turns to darker blue
With lights of amethyst.
III